'Rebuilding the Warehouse-Style Discount Store... Lotte Mart Max' with New Signage

First Launch in Honam and Changwon Regions This Year, Expansion to Seoul Metropolitan Area Next Year
Increasing Exclusive Products and Composition Ratio, Offering Reasonable Volume and Price

Exterior view of Lotte Mart Max Songcheon branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Lotte Mart is launching a new brand, 'Maxx,' to replace 'VIC Market' and is intensifying its warehouse discount store business.

On the 18th, Lotte Mart announced that it will consecutively open three Maxx stores: Gwangju Sangmu on the 21st, Mokpo on the 27th, following Jeonju Songcheon store on the 19th. Including the Changwon Jungang store scheduled to open in March, it plans to open four Maxx stores in the first quarter alone, and will also change the signs of the existing Yeongdeungpo and Geumcheon stores in Seoul to Maxx.

Expanding Exclusive Products to Over 50%

The name Maxx carries the meaning of "providing the maximum customer experience with new products." Lotte Mart Maxx focuses on product competitiveness by significantly increasing the proportion of exclusive products available only at Maxx stores from the current 35% to over 50%. Representative products include 12 various desserts and dishes such as Alaska pollock fry and grilled eggplant from the French frozen food brand 'Thiriet,' and German DM cosmetics brand 'Balea' is also sold. The first directly managed bakery 'Pungmiso (風味所),' which brings out the flavor of raw materials, and 'Cheese & Dough,' a pizza with delicious cheese, are also planned to be developed as signature products.

They will also introduce the latest trendy products ranging from high-end luxury brands preferred by customers in their 30s and 40s to contemporary brands. Well-known cookware brands such as 'Fissler' and 'WMF,' as well as European ceramics that were only available at premium stores, will be offered at reasonable prices.

Reflecting the main complaint of warehouse discount store customers that "the unit price is cheap but the large volume makes it expensive," Maxx will break away from fixed ideas regarding product sizes. Instead of unconditionally large volume products, they plan to offer more reasonable and optimized sizes and prices, such as packaging suitable for families of 3 to 4 members.

A Lotte Mart official explained, "For example, for representative meat products like imported meat and seasoned beef bulgogi, we have reduced the packaged quantity to about 70% of that of other warehouse discount stores to avoid customers hesitating to buy due to large amounts. We optimized the average price to be within 40,000 to 50,000 KRW per pack to enhance purchase convenience while providing price benefits."

Lotte Mart Max Sangmu Branch Exterior.

One-Stop Shopping Linked with Specialty Stores

One of Lotte Mart Maxx's biggest competitive advantages is its meat section. Since imported meat is the main product category of warehouse discount stores, Maxx focuses on top 3% quality U.S. Prime grade beef and Australian grain-fed beef with excellent marbling. In line with the value consumption trend, Maxx is the first warehouse discount store to sell domestic animal welfare pork, and all chilled chicken products are composed of animal welfare certified products. Cage-free eggs are also available for stable purchase throughout the year.

Category killer stores such as Hi-Mart, Daiso, Hanssem, and Bottle Bunker will also open together. This will enable customers to enjoy one-stop shopping in a single visit, overcoming the limitations of existing warehouse discount stores that had a limited number of products. The Maxx Sangmu store opening on the 21st will feature a 300-pyeong (approx. 991 sq. meters) wine specialty store 'Bottle Bunker' opening by April.

Kang Sung-hyun, CEO of Lotte Mart, said, "Maxx targets young customers in their 30s and 40s and is designed to suit lifestyles that prefer new experiences and value consumption. We will focus on proposing products that add value to cost-effectiveness so that Maxx can become a local landmark as a warehouse discount store accessible to everyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.